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RESPITE FALLS - NORTH GATE - MORNING
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Dorri paces around the pile of lumber now unloaded just inside the gate. Six huge logs, each close to 60' long and at least as thick around as Dorri herself, along with a bunch of smaller sturdy lengths of wood as well. She looks them over and sighs as she ponders about how she can get them up a mountain in any reasonable fashion.
Nora walks through the town, quickening her pace as she spots Dorri. Not that Dorri was hard to spot with those horns... long, spiraling horns that made Nora's look like absolute nubs... but never mind that.
Dorri ends up just leaning against the logs as her mind works through the odd logisitics problem ahead of her. "Hmm... that just might work..."
Nora: You're Dorri, right? Um... a yak told me about you- that sounds weird...
Dorri looks up at Nora and smiles, happy to see a fellow caprine about. "Oh, Yengrisk? Yeah, they like talking."
Nora: Yeah, they said you were... what was it... rebuilding an observatory- is that what all this wood is about.
Dorri nods. "Aye. Big storm blew over my tower a few weeks back. Figure it was time to rebuild the whole thing before another storm brought the whole thing down."
Nora: Well... how are you getting it up there? Those things are usually on peaks, right?
Dorri looks Nora up and down and laughs. "I'll carry it up, same as I hauled it here from Folly. Going up a mountain isn't that much harder than walking in a caravan. The big logs, though... might need some help keeping those balanced as I go up."
Nora looks at the size of the logs and tries to do some mental math. "I could... do that? Probably?"
Dorri smiles. "I've no doubt you can climb, but climbing with a hefty load is something different..."
Nora: Hey, I can be strong...
Nora flexes her bicep halfway, then stops when she realizes her muscles aren't anything to impress.
Dorri hefts up one of the smaller logs, still about six feet long by a half-a-foot thick. She lifts it with seeming ease and smiles at Nora. "Not interested in what your muscles look like. I'm interested in what you can do with them." They turn to walk out through the gate. "Come on then, let's give you a chance..."
Nora: Alright. You want me to take one of the small ones, or to balance, or...
Dorri is already halfway through the gate by the time Nora responds. "Come along, girlie."
Nora nods and quickly walks forward.
Nora: Just tell me what to do and... I'll make it work.
Dorri leads Nora out to the north of town toward the foothills near where the titular falls reside. They set the log down on the ground and look at the goat. "How high do you figure you could climb with this wood in a minute?"
Nora thinks for a bit, trying not to over- or underestimate... and largely failing. "In a minute? I guess... a minute isn't that long. But it's also not that long, so the log wouldn't get that heavy, so..."
Dorri takes a seat on a rock and nods. "Well, show me, then."
Nora nods and pulls up the log. It takes considerably more effort than Dorri gave, but she can at least walk around with it. "Alright, here I go..."
Dorri just watches with a wry smirk on her face.
Nora begins to climb, which is unfortunately exactly as difficult as she anticipated. She's not in danger of dropping the log, but she's not moving quickly.
Dorri watches and nods. "Not too bad. About as good as Yengrisk, anyway..." They hop off the rock and look at Nora again. "Seems like you're angling for work, then?"
Nora: Well... yeah, honestly. I came here with some explorers going south, and... long story short, I need a job now.
Nora mentally curses herself for putting that part out in the open.
Dorri nods. "Sounds good. I can pay reasonable wages, but it's gonna be hard work and we'll be sleeping in tents up there..." They start to walk back toward town. "Didn't catch your name yet, though."
Nora smiles. "Nora."
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ERIKA'S GARDEN - AFTERNOON
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Erika is working her garden, carefully tending to the totes-not-jungle that only she knows the layout and purpose of. She's humming louder than usually, for probably not Cavro-related reasons. By which we mean almost entirely for Cavro-related reasons.
Froge has been wandering the city somewhat aimlessly, taking in the various people and shops available, still not used to the general vastness of the place. In fact, he hadn't been aware that it stretched quite as far as it did, and he may have become entirely lost in the process. His dampening rag was almost dried out and the sun wasn't being any less kind today. He reached the South Gate, looking out and almost able to make out a familiar mountaintop. With a worried, dry croak, he turns to head back when he spots an oasis among the stone and wood. "Leaf?" He mumbles, absently heading in the direction of Erika's garden as it peeks through the alleys.
Erika is currenly digging near the roots of one of the bigger trees of the garden, kneeling over whatever roots she's digging in or out of the mulch.
Froge makes his way up the street, his pace quickening the nearer he gets. Soon the sound of branches lightly swaying in funneled breezes reaches him and the amphibian skitters up the alley next to Erika's house, though he doesn't crash through the underbrush. The somewhat green shadow that hugs him makes Froge quietly croak in happiness as he slows down to brush his fingers against the lower plants.
Erika either does not hear the frog, or she's mighty distracted. Possibly both.
Froge slowly makes his way around in the foliage, careful to take in the sound and feel of every plant near him as he goes, a gentle frogsong rising in his throat as he does. He's still not entirely sure that blackout hasn't taken him to a dream, but at this point, he doesn't care. He steps out from under a large fern into a more open area, looking up at the canopy and smiling with all his heart.
Erika seems to finally recognize that someone else is in the garden with her. Her heart leaps up in hope, but that hope deflates when it isn't... well, someone else we shall not name. "Oh. Hi?" She's still knelt over her root-dig, her hair slightly more frazzled than usual.
Froge yelps in surprise, stumbling backward and nearly falling onto his rear, just barely catching himself. "Oh! Oh hello! I didn't think this place was real, but it's real and you're real!"
Erika blinks several times, shifting to a less crouched-over position as she looks at the frog. She then looks at herself and around her garden: "Yeah... pretty real. Wait what?"
Froge giggles a nervous frogsong as he rights himself, bowing his head slightly to Erika. "I'm sorry, of course you are! I got lost and it's so hot out here, and my rag..." He picks up a large blue rag from the dirt where it fell, now completely dry. "Ohh... So dusty..."
Erika blinks again, then points to a rainwater barrel she has next to her house. "I have a barrel there. It's a bit low right now, but you can use it for that."
Froge follows Erika's finger, spotting the barrel. "Oh, that's very kind of you!" He wanders over to soak his rag, not particularly fussed about wringing the dust out before he plops the wet cloth square on his forehead between bulging eyes. "Oh yes that is wonderful~" His eyes close and he simply stands for a minute, reveling in the cool wet.
Erika smiles at the frog, resting her hands on her knees as she sits: "I guess you usually stay somewhere more wet?"
Froge looks toward her, a light happy croak behind every vowel as he speaks. "Yes yes, I very much prefer more humid weather, Respite is no respite from the anger of the sun. But I never knew about this piece of home being here!" He spreads his arms, indicating the miniature forest around them.
Erika raises an eyebrow, curious at this description: "Piece of home?" She chuckles: "Guess it can be that. It's my home, sorta."
Froge blinks, tilting his head slightly. "Your home? Oh, is this your territory? I'm terribly sorry for intruding!"
Erika shrugs, smiling: "If I was bothered at others being interested, I'd probably bother putting up a wall or something."
Froge giggles, relaxing into his song-backed voice again. "I haven't seen much of... Aephix, I believe the people here call it?" He starts walking in a circle around Erika as he speaks, unable to keep himself from idly wandering about and gently caressing the plants. "This is the only place I've seen that's so much like my home to the South. Less water and mud, of course."
Erika smiles as she looks at the frog, clearly not bothered by him at all: "I'm glad this helps, then. You must miss your home terribly. I know I do whenever I leave."
Froge nods, smiling more softly. "The city is terrifying, every time I come here I want to head back immediately, but..." He looks straight at Erika, being closer to her making the act seem to cross his eyes as he focuses on her. "You are all so terribly interesting, and I want to be a great trader one day. Can't be a trader by staying home, can I?"
Erika smiles, nodding: "Much like I could not be a great herbalist if I just stayed here all the time. So many species out there to be discovered!"
Froge giggles, nodding and happy she understand just how he feels before continuing around the perimeter of the plants. "They are all so healthy, you must take excellent care of them."
Erika smiles and blushes slightly: "I just do what I do. It's nothing special."
Froge thinks for a moment as he looks around. "Oh, but you haven't got anything from the South? Would you like me to tell you about the plants we have back home?" He doesn't really wait for an answer before he sits across from Erika as he starts describing immensely thick trees with cages of roots and wide leaves, stout ferns that act like spouts for firegas when carefully cut, as well as a myriad of others from trees to vines to root vegetables others may have never heard of.
Erika listens intently, curious, for what anyone else would consider an almost unbearably long and boring talk about plant life.